The Sweet Mom Bond That Helped Lift Ice Dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates to Olympic Glory
Meet the two moms whose friendship helped two Olympians—and soulmates—shine on ice.
Being an Olympian is daunting, but raising Olympians? Now that’s an entirely different story. For the athletes who have shined on our screens over the past several days, their accomplishments are the result of years of training and endless hours put into their sport. And many of them have their parents to thank for their endless encouragement and dedication, driving their kids to and from practices and trainings since early childhood, traveling across the globe to let their children live out their dreams and so much more. And over the course of their kids’ careers, many of these loving parents have built communities of their own. For example, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, the beloved Team USA ice dancing duo, have been partners since 2011, and their mothers have formed an unbreakable bond as they’ve watched their children compete alongside one another, and eventually, fall in love. Here, a look into the sweet friendship between Barbara Chock and Nancy Bates.
Madison Chock and Evan Bates’ moms are BFF goals
When Madison Chock was 12 years old, she and her family moved from California to Novi, Michigan, and upon arrival, the young athlete dove right into the ice dancing scene. Chock had a series of partners over the course of her early career in Michigan, but in 2011, she linked up with Evan Bates, and not only did they become a successful ice dancing pair—but they eventually married, becoming husband and wife in 2024. It’s been over a decade since they first paired up as partners, and in that time Nancy Bates and Barbara Chock got to know each other—and their friendship is sweet as can be!
“I think if we were in high school together, we would have been buddies. Really good friends,” revealed Nancy Bates in a conversation with NBC Olympics. “And I would have said, ‘Hey, I have a boy!’” she joked. “We’ve been friends since before they started skating together,” Barbara Chock revealed.
“Initially, they were not dating,” explained Nancy Bates of her son and daughter-in-law. “They were friends. They skated and did well and competed and kept going further and further and they won in 2015. And at the end of that, he whispers in her ear, ‘I love you.’ And I saw it. But it took a couple more years before he told her how he felt.”
As it is in many friendships, Nancy and Barbara balance each other out. “Well, she’s calm…she’ll pat me on the leg and go, ‘They’re fine, they’ll be fine’,” Nancy told WGN9 about Barbara. “I’m just a wreck and she’s just cool.”
Over the course of Madison and Evan’s careers, Nancy and Barbara have loved watching their journey unfold. “Oh, we’ve had a blast. We’ve had so much fun traveling and getting to see a lot of places with the kids, and just watching their progression along the way. You’re just happy for them, because you always want the best for your kids,” Barbara told NBC.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
